Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free
Avengers: Endgame has leaked onto piracy sites a whole day before it’s set to be released in the US.
A copy of the film is reportedly circulating online after being recorded in Chinese cinema.
TorrentFreak reported that site users in China started to share a file of the three-hour long film on piracy networks on Wednesday. It’s believed the file has since surfaced on torrent sites in the UK.
The final chapter in the Avengers franchise – and a film that’s being billed as the conclusion of all 22 films to have been released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2008 – debuted in China on Wednesday, one day before its release in the UK.
The downloadable copy is said to be terrible quality. According to TorrentFreak’s report, “It’s semi-rotated and is littered throughout with watermarks for a gambling site that spin around the screen.”
Show all 27 1 /27Avengers characters - ranked Avengers characters - ranked 27. War Machine Played by: Don Cheadle
Imagine Iron Man but without a backstory or humour. That's War Machine. Terrence Howard saw that the character would be underwritten and dropped out after filming the first Iron Man. Still, it's hard to dislike Don Cheadle, even when he's shortchanged.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 26. Mantis Played by: Pom Klementieff
The forgettable Mantis is purely there to make up the numbers. It doesn't help that she was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, one of the MCU's weakest films to date, as the servant to Kurt Russell's tedious villain, Ego. In a crowded ensemble, Mantis is drowned out by the larger personalities.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 25. Hawkeye Played by: Jeremy Renner
"Oh no! It's a man with no superpowers and a bow and arrow! I, an alien with futuristic technology who has travelled through the galaxy to invade Earth, am terrified!" – Thanos's army of Outriders, probably.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 24. Doctor Strange Played by: Benedict Cumberbatch
Oh, Doctor Strange. Perhaps there's a good character there, but Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't the man to play him. He's probably the least likeable presence in the MCU, even if a few kick-ass moments in Avengers: Endgame almost pull him back from the brink.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 23. Gamora Played by: Zoe Saldana
Although the father-daughter relationship between Gamora and Thanos is interesting, it's completely overshadowed by the dynamic between her half-sister Nebula and the Mad Titan. And now she's AWOL. Perhaps. No one really knows.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 22. Star-Lord Played by: Chris Pratt
Star-Lord – the half-man, half-Celestial – remains one of the funniest Marvel characters to date. Yet, the Avengers would have saved the universe the first time around if it weren't for his (quite understandable) temper tantrum over the death of Gamora in Infinity War. For that, the leader of Guardian of the Galaxy falls many places.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 21. Nebula Played by: Karen Gillan
Nebula has all the makings of being a vintage Marvel character, but the feeling that she's been slightly short-changed by her appearances to date cannot be escaped. Going forward, she'll undoubtedly have an elevated role in the MCU, so here's hoping she's handed the justice she deserves.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 20. The Winter Soldier Played by: Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan's Bucky was a bit of a non-entity in the otherwise underrated Captain America: The First Avenger, which is why his do-over as the villainous Winter Soldier in the sequel three years later injected the character with some much-needed intrigue. His shift back to being a good guy, though, has dampened the interest around him once again. Still, that teased romance with Shuri (Letitia Wright) is sure to do him some favours.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 19. Vision Played by: Paul Bettany
Vision is the purple embodiment of Tony Stark's AI butler JARVIS, brought to life by the Mind Stone. One of the only other characters capable of wielding Thor's hammer (oi oi, Cap!), Vision is overpowered to the point of being boring. Still, he doesn't know his paprika from his cayenne.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 18. The Wasp Played by: Evangeline Lilly
Sidelined during the first Ant-Man, The Wasp finally became a headline name in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not only is she smarter, quicker and a better fighter than Ant-Man, she can also fly thanks to a set of wings. Fingers crossed we'll be getting more Wasp post-Endgame.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 17. Falcon Played by: Anthony Mackie
There's no two ways about it: if Falcon wasn't played by Anthony Mackie, he'd be far lower down this list. His character remains memorable solely due to the vibrancy the ever-entertaining actor brings to the role. Falcon might be a lesser Avenger, but no appearance since his debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier has left fans wanting more. For that, Falcon should be celebrated.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 16. Captain Marvel Played by: Brie Larson
There's no doubt that Captain Marvel could become one of the best characters in the MCU. Fresh off her billion dollar-grossing debut – the series's first female-led superhero film – the character returned to save the day (well, help the crew out) in Avengers: Endgame. Now her origin story is out of the way, the sky's the limit for her; it'll be exciting to see which planets her story scales next.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 15. Groot Played by: Vin Diesel
To be quite honest, it's hard to screw up a character who is literally a tree that's able to speak just one word (his name). There's no denying that Vin Diesel's Groot was one of the best things about the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and his camaraderie with Rocket Raccoon a highlight. Sadly, being turned into a baby for the entirety of the sequel made his character slightly more annoying.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 14. Valkyrie Played by: Tessa Thompson
Introduced in Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie has the swagger of Han Solo and the powers of Wonder Woman. The result is probably the coolest and smoothest Avenger yet, and someone we very much look forward to seeing again in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 13. Hulk Played by: Mark Ruffalo
The Hulk was originally played by Edward Norton, but Mark Ruffalo took over for the Avengers films. The actor brought out a manic unpredictability to the character, who remains a skittish presence in every film. Since the first Avengers outing, though, Bruce Banner/Hulk has been less integral to the team.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 12. Black Widow Played by: Scarlett Johansson
Black Widow has had a rough ride. Introduced during Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's agent was a fierce fighter with an intriguing back story. However, this has rarely been explored since, with the Avengers films focusing on the lads rather than the one female character in the team. Almost 20 Marvel films on and the character is finally getting a solo film – but it's a prequel film arriving after her death in Endgame that's been delayed because of coronavirus. Ouch.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 11. Shuri Played by: Letitia Wright
One of Black Panther's biggest revelations was Shuri, T'Challa's kid sister who might just be the cleverest character in the entire MCU. She's brought to life by British actor Letitia Wright, who capitalised on the several opportunities she had to steal the film from under her co-stars' noses. “Great, another broken white boy for us to fix," she says as Martin Freeman's Everett Ross is carted into her workshop – and thus, a star was born.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 10. Scarlet Witch Played by: Elizabeth Olsen
Scarlet Witch doesn't really do much save for wave her hands around while looking concerned about the well-being of her love, Vision (Paul Bettany) – but it doesn't matter considered she's played by the the extremely talented Elizabeth Olsen who, as ever, gives it an admirable stab.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 9. Captain America Played by: Chris Evans
On paper, Captain America should be the most boring Avenger. Yet, with Chris Evans at the wheel, the patriotic super-strong OAP who fought in the Second World War has been enjoyable company in every film he's been in, his righteous values never being too overbearing. Captain America, with his pure heart, really is one of the ultimate superheroes.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 8. Iron Man Played by: Robert Downey Jr
The leader of the MCU used to be its greatest character. But with the influx of newer additions, Tony Stark has been pushed down that list – which isn't to say he isn't still a reason why the series has been such a success. No Marvel actor has thrown themselves into a role more than Robert Downey Jr, whose larger-than-life personality made him the only candidate to have brought the billionaire industrialist and former playboy to screen. Among the big-budget explosions, he's a breath of fresh air and without him, the MCU would have run out of steam long ago.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 7. Ant-Man Played by: Paul Rudd
A man who presses a button and takes on the powers of an ant: not exactly a thrilling premise for a superhero. Thankfully, Marvel accepted that Ant-Man's power are a bit of a joke and cast the ever-delightful comic actor Paul Rudd as the mini-hero. And despite his stature, Ant-Man stole the show in Captain America: Civil War when he reversed his powers and became Giant Man.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 6. Rocket Played by: Bradley Cooper
In many ways, the success of Guardians of the Galaxy – Marvel's first true move away from the cleaner cut Avengers (see: Captan America, Thor) – rested on the shoulders of Rocket Raccoon. Many questioned whether it'd work, but thanks to impressive effects, Bradley Cooper's terrific voice work – and not to mention James Gunn's knockout screenplay – Rocket found himself with more range than most characters on this list.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 5. Black Panther Played by: Chadwick Boseman
Few characters have had the cultural impact of Boseman's Black Panther. First appearing in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa's measured demeanour was a counter to the quip-making norm of the other Avengers. Come the character's solo film, the noble leader finally accepted his role as King of Wakanda and, in the process, unleashed the inner Panther. It's no wonder that the film became a box-office sensation, even out-grossing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in the United States.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 4. Drax Played by: Dave Bautista
Drax is proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. His burly appearance suggests he should be fighting for the bad guys, but the opposite couldn't be truer – thanks to Dave Bautista, the character is given a cuddly sheen that belies his full name (Drax the Destroyer). The only thing Drax, who first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy, truly destroys is your rib cage – he's one of the MCU's funniest characters.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 3. Spider-Man Played by: Tom Holland
Spider-Man's back. Again again. Where Tobey Maguire's webslinger was an out-and-out dork, and Andrew Garfield's version was arguably too slick to really be Peter Parker, Tom Holland has found the perfect middle ground: still obsessed with making Star Wars references yet also capable of talking coherently with members of the opposite sex. It's a miracle that Marvel Studios managed to bring Spider-Man into their cinematic universe – and a miracle they managed to make him feel this fresh third time around.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 2. Okoye Played by: Danai Gurira
Black Panther was a landmark moment for cinema, let alone Marvel. It was a film filled with selling points – the lustrous visuals of Wakanda; a villain you actually cared about – but sitting at the top of the heap was Okoye. The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira swapped the katana for a vibranium spear and showed audiences that not only was she more than just television character Michonne, she could translate a comic book character into one of the very best characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 1. Thor Played by: Chris Hemsworth
Thor was not a great film. Thor: The Dark World was even worse. Yet, against all odds, the God of Thunder has established himself as the greatest Avenger. How? It's namely thanks to Taika Waititi's revisioning of the character in Thor: Ragnarok. Rather than making Hemsworth deliver sub-par Shakespearean prose, the filmmaker enthused Thor with a sense of humour – something that played to Hemsworth's strength as an actor. The result was a charismatic, short-haired, smouldering superhero who was finally able to charm Marvel fans. If only Thor had been this way all along.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Just last week, Marvel fans were urged to leave social media as a mobile phone-filmed sizzle reel filled with spoilers made its way onto the internet.
Considering the film’s many twists and turns, its unofficial tagline – pushed by directors Joe and Anthony Russo – has become: “#DontSpoilTheEndgame.”
Endgame is shrouded in so much secrecy that journalists weren’t permitted to see the film ahead of interviewing its many cast members, including Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans, in the run-up to its release.
This didn’t stop Karen Gillan from revealing a bit too much about Nebula’s storyline in the new film. “I just got really nervous and gave something away,” she said in front of a crowded audience.
You can find our extensive ranking of every MCU film here .
Avengers: Endgame is in UK cinemas now.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies